Two portions of the work on the Small Bay sea wall project are set to commence by the end of February, the City recently confirmed.
The section in front of Ferguson Street, and at the corner of Popham and Pelegrini Street towards the Small Bay Play Park will receive attention, with some road closures in these areas to enable the construction of the new sea wall.
“The City’s Coastal Management Branch is progressing well with the reconstruction of the sea wall and repairing the adjacent roadway and sewer line at Small Bay in Bloubergstrand,” said Deputy Mayor and Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and the Environment Eddie Andrews.
He said the coastal infrastructure at Small Bay was being upgraded to protect important services and public infrastructure from damage due to wave overtopping and flooding.
“Presently, the existing sewer line is vulnerable to coastal processes and at risk of collapsing. We are therefore re-routing the sewer line landward, away from the sea wall.
“Construction commenced 12 months ago, and if all goes as planned the project should be complete by September. We are doing the work in phases so we can limit periods of access restrictions and traffic accommodation. I am aware this may cause some inconvenience, and I thank residents and visitors for their patience and support in coming months. Once done, the public will benefit from the various upgrades.”
Road closures
The planned duration of the specific upcoming road closures, provided conditions are favourable, are as follows:
- Phase 2: The works along Ferguson Street will continue for five months.
- Phase 4 and 5: The works at the corner of Popham and Pelegrini Street towards the Small Bay Play Park will continue for seven months.
During these periods, there will be no vehicular access to Ferguson and Pelegrini Street. Access to this area will be from Sir David Baird Drive. Pedestrian traffic will be allowed, but under the guidance of the staff on site to ensure the safety of all residents.
The existing seawall is being reconstructed from the Small Bay parking along Pelegrini and Popham Streets, up to Ferguson Street. The City’s coastal engineers have done a lot of work to ensure we build a wall of high quality that will mitigate the overtopping volumes and associated risk to damage and safety.
Reconstruction
“The signage to inform the public of current access limitations is still in place,” Andrews pointed out. “The public currently does not have access to the beach from the Small Bay Park, nor to the parking area adjacent to the park for the duration of the project. Pelegrini Street, as these are open to residents only.”
The following are included in this project:
- Reconstruction of the existing sea wall from the Small Bay Park, along Pelegrini and Popham Streets to Ferguson Street, covering a section of approximately 190 m.
- Rerouting of an existing sewer line landward, away from the sea wall, from the park to the De Mist ablution building.
- Reconstruction of Pelegrini and Popham Street along the sea wall.
